Aspirating type of dispenser



.April 14, 1970 o. HQ DUDA ASPIRATING TYPE OF DISPENSER S R m m WW Mm 0 ,fr H m 0 Mr m im n. L Gob ,d6 W. m 46@ o 1 MWNAQ @Qmf U gawwhH-.. iw@ t f7 |v b Tw a4 3 1 uw 4 Ad 2 M lUnited States Patent O M 3,506,158 ASPIRATING TYPE F DISPENSER Otto H. Duda, Hacienda Heights, Calif., assignor to Diamond International Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 21, 1968, Ser. No. 738,900 Int. Cl. B67d 1/00 U.S. Cl. 222-108 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispensing device of the type in which a propellant cartridge is housed within the product container, for discharge through a passage in aspirating relation to the product discharge passage, the product discharge and venting passages, and the propellant discharge, being controlled by interconnected and coordinated valve means. The discharge end of the propellant cartridge is enclosed in a socket which functions to isolate any leaking propellant from the product, and which has a vent passage leading to the atmosphere.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in a dispensing device of the type in which a propellant cartridge is housed within a product container and in which the discharge of the propellant is through a passage which is in aspirating relation to the product discharge passage.

Dispensers of this type are advantageous as permitting the use of product containers which would not be capable of withstanding internal pressures to any substantial degree and also are advantageous for use in dispensing products of a type in which the product and the propellant chemically react or where for various reasons it is not desirable 4to intermix the product with the propellant until the time of their actual discharge from the dispenser.

It has been heretofore known in the prior art to provide such a dispenser, including provision for venting of the product container to the atmosphere to permit the inflow of air, as required to replace the discharged product, and provision for sealing of the product from the atmosphere, except during dispensing of the product. But it has been found that a serious problem is created in occasional instances where the propellant discharge valve of the propellant cartridge is defective, so as to permit leakage of the propellant from the cartridge around its valve stem. When such leakage occurs, there is no place for the leaking propellant to go except into the product container, wherein it not only mingles with the product but, in addition, may create such a high internal pressure within the product container as to cause an explosion. This danger is increased, due to the fact, that in order to fully realize the advantages and economy of this type of dispenser, the product container ordinarily will not be capable of withstanding substantial internal pressures.

It is with this consideration in mind that the present invention provides for a dispenser of the general type above mentioned in which the discharge end of the propellant cartridge is received and supported in fluid type relation within a socket within the container in such manner that any leaking propellant is maintained by the socket, isolated from the product containing portion of the container, and is vented directly to the atmosphere through a suitable pressure discharge passage or vent. Thus, the creation of undesirable pressures within the product container and the intermingling of the product and the propellant are both avoided in the present invention.

Further features of the invention consist in a particularly advantageous and simplified assemblage of parts 3,506,158 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 forming the dispensing device and in the novel arrangement and cooperation between the various valve passages and components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by way of exemplification only, in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a vertical section through the upper portion of a container to which the pressurized cartridge type dispenser of the invention is applied, the parts being shown in a closed or non-dispensing position in this view.

FIGURE 2 is a View generally similar to FIGURE l, but showing the parts in dispensing position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 10 therein designates a conventional product container of suitable size and shape which, in the present instance, has its filling and dispensing opening defined by a conventional upwardly directed neck 12 formed with an external marginal beading 14 around its upper end. Since the container 10 is not required to withstand the pressure of the propellant gas utilized in the dispensing operation, it may be formed of glass or a suitable plastic material. In other words, neither the material nor the configuration of the container need be selected for the purpose of withstanding any substantial degree of internal pressure. Supported in fiuid-tight relation in the container opening or neck 12 is a valve housing 16 having formed therethrough a cylindrical bore 18, the inner end of which communicates with the interior of the container 10. The bore 18 also extends upwardly through the outer end of the housing 16.

For supporting the Valve housing 16 in fluid-tight relation within the opening of the container neck 12, there is provided an -annular adapter ring or closure 20 having an upper edge beading 21 curled outwardly over and around the bead 14 ofthe container neck in sealed relation, whereby to support the major portion of the adapter 20 within the container neck. Around the opening defined by its inner periphery, the adaptor 20 is formed to provide an annular groove 22 for snug sealing reception of a radially outwardly projecting flange 24 around and integral with the housing 16. In addition to its sealing function, the flange also cooperates with the adapter to firmly support the valve housing 16 within the container opening. It will be further apparent that the flange 24 also functions in the manner of a plug or seal in the inner periphery of the adapter 20 to isolate the container interior from the atmosphere.

At the inner end of the housing 16, beneath the flange 24, the valve housing 16 is formed to define an inwardly directed socket 26 of greater diameter than the upper portion of the housing, and which may be of circular configuration and in alignment with the bore 18. The propellant cartridge 28 is of conventional structure containing a suitable pressurized propellant such as Freon l2. Its discharge end is supported and sealingly enclosed within the socket 26, preferably by means including a constructed lower end portion 30 of the socket engaging in a construction around the discharge end portion of the cartridge 28. Continued within the discharge end of the propellant cartridge 28 is a conventional aerosol valve 32 of the type which is actuated by movement of its tubular valve stem and discharge conduit 34 in the direction of its length. Normally the valve 32 will be spring loaded toward its closed position in which the valve stem 34 will be projected outwardly to the position sho-wn in FIGURE 1, and may be manually pressed downwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 2 for discharging the propellant from the cartridge 28.

It will be apparent that the cartridge 28 seals the mouth of the socket 26, so that any pressurized propellant which might leak from the cartridge 28 around the valve stem 34, of a defective propellant valve, will be received within the inner end portion of socket 26 and thus isolated from the product containing portion of the container interior. However, any such leaking propellant is permitted freely to escape into the atmosphere through a pressure release passage or vent extending upwardly trough the closed upper end of the socket 26 and through the flange 24 to the exterior atmoshpere.

The cylindrical valve plunger 36 is slidably disposed through the bore 18 of the housing for movement between a predetermined v-alve closing position, as shown in FIGURE 1, and a predetermined dispensing position as shown in FIGURE 2.

At the outer upper end of the plunger in the preferred embodiment there is carried a dispensing head 38. The dispesing head 28 is fixed on the plunger 36 and preferably is formed to provide an upwardly presented fingerpiece 42 through which actuating finger pressure may be applied to it, -and preferably also with a depending skirt 44 surrounding the upwardly projecting portion of the housing and associated structure and providing an outlet opening 46, positioned to register with the propellant discharge orifice 48 in the upwardly projecting portion of the housing 16.

To maintain the dispensing head 38 angularly oriented about the axis of the housing 16 while permitting free actuating movement of the dispensing head and plunger, the housing 16 may be provided with a suitable key or projection S2, for free sliding reception in a keyway defined by a portion 53 of the depending skirt 44 of the head 38.

The valve stem 34 of the propellant valve is coupled to the lower or inner end of the plunger 36 within the socket 26, so that the two move together as a unit. In the preferred embodiment, such a coupling is effected by an enlaged counter bore 50 in the lower or inner end of the valve plunger 36 which is snugly press-fitted on the projecting upper end of the tubular `valve stem 34 to interconnect the hollow interior of that stem with a porpellant discharge passage section 56 which, in the present instance, is conveniently formed to extend completely through the plunger and to have its upper end closed by the nger piece 42 of the discharge head. The discharge passage also includes a section 58, functioning as a discharge port which extends radially outwardly from passage section 56 through the wall of the plunger at a location in which the discharge port 58 is normally closed by the valve housing 16 in the predetermined valve closing position of the plunger illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The valve housing 16 in turn has its propellant discharge orifice 48 positioned to register and communicate with the propellant discharge part 58 in the dispensing position of the plunger, in which the latter s fully depressed to the position shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing.

The valve housing further is formed with normally disconnected sections 60Lz and 60b respectively of a product discharge passage 60, both of which sections open into the bore 18 of the housing at relatively spaced locations and communicate respectively with the container interior and with the atmosphere outside of the container. The product discharge passage section 60a extends outwardly from the bore 18 and diagonally downwardly through the housing and through a projecting nipple 61 to which is telescopingly connected the upper end of a dip tube 62, the lower end of which, though not illustrated, will be understood to depend into the contents of the container 10 to a location near the bottom of the container. The product discharge passage section 60b opens outwardly from the bore 18 through a radial port 63, and then extends upwardly through the key 5 with its discharge end located immediately beneath and generally transversely to the propellant discharge orifice 48.

As will be quite readily apparent, the propellant discharge orifice 48 is in aspirating relation to the product discharge passage 60a, 60b, so that the reduced pressure of the propellant emerging through the propellant orifice 48, will cause the product from within the container 10 to be sucked up through the product passage to be discharged into and entrained by the propellant issuing from the propellant orifice 48. For controlling the communication between the product passage sections 60a and 60h, the plunger 36 is provided in its exterior wall surface with a channel 64 which is so positioned that in the raised or retracted position of the plunger, as shown in FIGURE 1, the channel 64 registers only with the lower end of the product passage section 60h and is completely out of registry with the end of the product passage section 60a. On the other hand, when the plunger is depressed to its dispensing position as in FIGURE 2, the passage 63 registers with the adjacent ends of both passage sections 60a and 60b to establish communication between them, whereby the product may be dispensed by a way of the aspirating action of the propellant.

The valve housing 116 is further formed with normally disconnected sections 66a and 66b of an air inlet passage opening into the bore 18 at relatively axially spaced locations to be interconnected and disconnected through a channel 68 formed in the outer surface of the valve plunger 36 in position to maintain these passage sections 66a and 66b disconnected when the plunger is raised to its closing position and to interconnect them when the plunger is depressed to its dispensing position as in FIGURE 2. It will be seen that the passage section 66a opens from the bore outwardly through the housing into the product containing portion of the container interior, while passage section 66b opens from the bore 18 outwardly to the atmosphere outside of the container, so that when these passage sections are interconnected by way of the channel 68, air may be admitted from the atmosphere into the container interior in the volume necessary to replace the product which is discharged from the container by aspiration.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION In the operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve stem 34 of the propellant cartridge 28 will normally be spring-loaded toward the valve closing position, so that the closing of the'propellant valve will act through the valve stem 34 and interconnected valve plunger 36 to close off the product discharge passage 60, as well as to prevent communication between the vent passage sections 66a and 66b. At this time the valve plunger and associated valve components will be in the position illustrated in FIGURE l of the drawing.

In order to dispense the product from the container 10, the valve plunger is depressed downwardly by finger pressure on the finger piece 42 of its discharge head 38. It is to be noted that the length of the socket defining portion 40 of the discharge head is proportioned so that when the plunger is depressed to its proper dispensing position, the lower end of the socket will abut against the upper end of the valve sleeve 36 to arrest the motion of the plunger in a position of depression in which the propellant discharge port 58, constituting the outlet end of the propellant discharge passage 56, accurately registers with the propellant orifice 48 through the valve sleeve 36.

Such depression'of the plunger 36 is transmitted to the valve stem 34 to open the propellant valve and permit upward discharge of propellant through the valve stem 34 and the hollow plunger 36, thence outwardly through the propellant port 58 and orifice 48 in a direction across and adjacent the upper end of the product discharge passage section 60b in aspirating relation thereto.

In the dispensing position above-mentioned, the plunger channel 63 vwill interconnect the adjoining ends of the product passage sections 60a and 60b within the bore 18, so that the flowable product from the container 10` may be sucked upwardly through the dip-tube 62 and dis,-

charged by aspirating action through the passage sections `60a and 6012 of the product discharge passage. 1t will be readily apparent that as the product is withdrawn from the product discharge passage 60 by aspirating action, it will become entrained in and intermixed with the Outwardly directed jet of the propellant to be formed into a spray of fine particles by the rapidly expanding propellant.

Release of the actuating finger pressure on the discharge head 38 will permit it and the valve plunger 36 to be promptly projected upwardly to and retained in valve closing position by the spring loaded valve stem 34 of the propellant valve.

It is to be particularly noted that the upper end of the propellant cartridge socket 26 is completely isolated from the product containing portion of the container at all times by the sealing action of the discharge end of the propellant cartridge within the socket. Further, the socket is effectively isolated from the product discharge passage 60 and the vent passage 66a. Thus, in the event the propellant valve is damaged or defective, so as to permit leakage around the valve stern 34, as sometimes occurs, the propellant will be received solely within the socket which will thus maintain it completely isolated from the product within the container, and will permit its free discharge through the vent passage 34 directly into the atmosphere. Not only will the propellant thus be kept from contact with the product, but there is provided a means for releasing any such leaking or escaping propellant from the container without subjecting the container to the internal pressure that would be created within it were the product unable to thus escape freely to the atmosphere.

` Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dispenser for flowable materials comprising an elongated valve housing having a sealing portion between its ends adapted for fluid tight reception in the mouth of a container, said housing being formed with a lengthwise bore therethrough, means at one end of said housing defining a socket, a propellant cartridge supported in and sealing the mouth of said socket, a propellant valve operatively associated with said cartridge and having a tubular valve stem disposed for valve controlling movement in said socket, said housing being formed with a product discharge passage extending therethrough with its intake and discharge ends respectively on opposite sides of said sealing portion, a valve plunger slidably disposed through said bore, for movement between predetermined valve closing and dispensing portions respectively, and coupled to said valve stem for movement therewith, said plunger being formed with a propellant passage communicating with said valve stem and including a discharge port located in aspirating relation to said product discharge passage in said dispensing position of the plunger, said housing being formed with a pressure release passage extending from said socket through said sealing portion and opening to the atmosphere at a location on the side of said sealing portion remote from said socket, said pressure release passage being isolated from the said propellant passage and said product discharge passage.

2. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, in which said housing is formed with a propellant orifice positioned for registry with said propellant discharge port in the said dispensing position of the plunger, said housing closing said discharge port in the valve closing position of the plunger.

3. A dispenser as defined in claim 2, in which said plunger during movement to its dispensing position actuates said valve stem to release propellant from said cartridge and through said propellant passage.

4. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, in which said product supply passage through the housing includes normally disconnected sections opening into said housing bore at relatively spaced locations and communicating respectively with the atmosphere and with the container interior, said plunger being formed with a channel positioned to interconnect said passage sections only in the predetermined dispensing position of the plunger.

5. A dispenser as defined in claim 4, in which said valve housing is formed with normally disconnected sections of an air inlet passage opening into said bore at relatively spaced locations and communicating respectively with the container interior and with the atmosphere, said plunger being formed with a channel positioned to interconnect said sections of the air inlet passage only in the predetermined dispensing position of the plunger.

6. A dispenser, as defined in claim 2, including a dispensing head carried by said plunger for movement with the plunger, said head being telescopically associated with said valve housing, and keyed on said valve housing against angular movement thereon, whereby to maintain said propellant orifice in angular position for registry with said propellant dischargeport.

7. A dispenser as defined in claim 6, wherein said dispensing head is adapted for abutment with said valve housing to prevent movement of said plunger beyond its predetermined dispensing position.

8. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, including a container having a mouth, said sealing portion of the valve housing being positioned in fluid tight manner in the said mouth, with said plunger projecting outwardly of the container from said mouth, a dip tube being coupled to said housing within the container in communication with said product discharge passage, and having a product intake end adjacent the bottom of the container.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 222-193 3/1961 Ferguson 222-399Y 

